Toronto’s Top QTBIPOC Emerging Artists and Creators Set to Deck the Halls at the “One & Only Artist Market” this December

TORONTO, ON (November 9, 2023) - No more resting Grinch face! Holiday shopping is about to “sleigh” thanks to SKETCH Working Arts’ ‘One & Only Artist Market’ returning December 9-10, 2023 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at SKETCH Studios (180 Shaw Street, lower level). Gift-givers this year will have the chance to shop from over 40 QTBIPOC emerging artists and creators featuring handmade and unique pieces, including jewelry, ceramics, upcycled apparel, stickers, handmade books, zines and more. Now in its fifth year, 100% of the proceeds from all sales during the holiday market go directly to the artists.

Open to the public and boasting free admission, the ‘One & Only Artist Market’ is one of the countless initiatives SKETCH offers through its wraparound community arts support that engages Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous and other racialized young people so they can meet their basic needs, explore their creativity and become builders of creative communities. In 2022, SKETCH engaged over 400 program participants and generated $239,740 for young people within the community. As one of the most unique QTBIPOC holiday markets in the city, the ‘One & Only Artist Market’ is a lifeline for artists during one of the most trying financial times of the year.

”Since coming to SKETCH, I feel more confident identifying as an artist with my skills and knowledge, only growing more and more,” remarks a previous SKETCH participant. “The more I engage in this community, the more I meet other artists as well. Coming to SKETCH has given me a reliable source of artistic mentorship. I know that if I have a project I am working towards, I can count on SKETCH for solid feedback.”

“As we gear up for the festive season, we look forward to coming together to uplift our QTBIPOC artists and creators,” says Paulina O’Kieffe-Anthony, the Executive Director of SKETCH. “By supporting the ‘One & Only Artist Market’, you not only bring joy to your loved ones but also help foster a nurturing environment where young artists can thrive and build a stronger, more inclusive creative community together.”

For more updates on SKETCH and the ‘One & Only Artist Market’, visit sketch.ca or follow SKETCH on Instagram at @sketchtoronto.

About SKETCH Working Arts:

SKETCH Working Arts is a community arts and arts education organization that engages young Queer, Trans, and Black, Indigenous, other racialized people, as well as those navigating poverty, living houseless. SKETCH provides programming in Arts Leadership, Arts Production and Arts Wellness so that young people can build skills and capacities to become powerful change agents through arts and culture. We believe in the power of the arts to heal, illuminate, bring together, and catalyze action to make change.

Website: https://www.sketch.ca/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sketchtoronto/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SketchArtsProgramming

X: https://twitter.com/SKETCHToronto

TORONTO, ON (December 10, 2019) – This holiday season, 12 thoughtful seriously ill children are working with Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada to provide toys to hospitalized sick kids across Canada. Each with the goal of raising $2,500, the Starlight children are being matched and supported by several generous sponsors and celebrity ambassadors. The campaign, aptly named “12 Kids of Starlight”, aims to raise a total of $30,000 for the charity.

“Each year, thousands of children’s hospital beds are filled with kids who are too sick to go home for the holidays or celebrate with their families and loved ones. Kids who may not have a chance to celebrate another holiday,” says Starlight Canada executive director Brian Bringolf. “The donations received over the next month will help Starlight bring a bit of normalcy, comfort and joy to over 100 children’s wards this holiday season.”

Joining the 12 children (listed below) in their impressive philanthropic efforts are a number of generous sponsors who have agreed to match funds raised by each child. Sponsors include Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, iFinance, Access Storage, CANADALEND.COM, Serve Construction Ltd., Alutron Modules, Magen Boys, Gluckstein Lawyers, Hunter Dental, and grand prize sponsor Air Canada Foundation.

Additionally, many well-known Canadians are showing their online support for the 12 Starlight kids including Rick and Angie Campanelli, Ann Kaplan (Real Housewives of Toronto), Hilary Farr (Love It or List It), Simone Denny (Love Inc.), Cindy Sampson (Private Eyes) and many more.

Interested donors to the 12 Kids of Starlight campaign can visit https://12kids.starlightcanada.org/ for more information. For each $10 donation, names are entered in a prize pool draw which includes exclusive items such as two Economy Class return tickets for any scheduled Air Canada destination in North America, including Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean; 14K Yellow Gold Diamond Earrings; an Ultimate Day of Golf package from Lebovic Golf Club and many more.

Meet the 12 Kids of Starlight (view photos by clicking here)

Alisha

Alisha was born not breathing and without a heartbeat for a staggering 26 minutes. This led to multiple organ failure and brain damage. As a result, Alisha has had 33 anaesthesia’s, a lot of daily medication and a g-tube to be fed at night. She has also received a kidney transplant. Alisha has spent 4 Christmases and birthdays in hospital. Through Starlight, Alisha gets some breaks from her worries so she can just have fun!

Qadim

Qadim has Angelman’s syndrome, a neurological condition which affects coordination, cognitive development, and speech. Although he is non-verbal and requires many days in the hospital each year, Qadim is rarely without a smile on his face and is keen to always help other people. Through Starlight, Qadim has seen a whole new, accessible side of life and loves every adventure he goes on!

Avery

Avery was born at just 28 weeks gestation and immediately spent the first three months of her life in the NICU. During those first few days she had a major brain bleed which led to fluid on the brain and the development of spastic hemiplegia – a form of cerebral palsy. Now, a huge Shawn Mendes fan and a girl discovering her passions, Avery turns to Starlight to help her have fun days out in between her hospital visits.

Delainey

Delainey was born with a rare chromosome abnormality: Full Trisomy 13 / Patau syndrome. With just a 10% chance of surviving to her first birthday, now 7-years-old Delainey is defying all the odds. She was super excited to see Barbie + Fashionistas Wheelchair doll released this year, and with the help of her family, is spreading the word that inclusivity and representation in toys is vital for the critically ill community!

Madison

Madison has cerebral palsy and nephrotic syndrome. Her life has been filled with appointments, therapies, surgeries and doctors appointments. Being a part of Starlight’s programs, ensures that Madison and her family have time to spend together, to have a break from the treatments, and be around other families going through similar situations as themselves.

Mia

Mia has the degenerative and chronic condition cystic fibrosis, which causes thicker, stickier mucus than usual to accumulate in many vital organs of the body. Despite this disease having no cure, a strict daily medication schedule and an inability to meet people with the same condition due to the risk of cross infection, Mia lives life to the fullest and ensures she can have fun with Starlight through our programming.

Cole

Cole has an unknown form of Muscular Dystrophy, severe scoliosis, a single kidney, deafness in his left ear, asthma and a feeding tube. Despite this plethora of illnesses, Cole finds ways to do everything that his friends are able to do, including racing in cars at Starlight’s Drive 4 Smiles event! Cole constantly proves to people that no matter what obstacles lay in your way, you can still live life to the fullest!

Cori

Cori has a lesion in her brain which causes seizures and sudden paralysis. Not knowing when an attack will occur or what side effects her endless medications will bring, her illness limits a lot of fun in life. But with Starlight’s accessible events and not taking ‘no’ for an answer when it comes to inclusion, Cori knows she’s not alone when she meets other people who have similar challenges to her.

Ella

Ella was both with a heart defect called transposition of the great arteries. Though 9 heart surgeries before the age of 5, this young girl has to take lots of medication each day. Despite all this, Ella always has a smile for everyone. Being the 2018 Starlight Bear designer, she loved showing people ‘Sparkles’ and help raise awareness for the heart community.

Joshua

Joshua has been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and juvenile arthritis, meaning that every day he experiences pain and aching in his joints, hyper-mobility and has no idea when his joints might dislocate and cause him pain. After experience a Once In A Lifetime wish with Starlight, where he was completely pain free for a week, Joshua is making it his mission that all sick children can smile and feel the happiness he does with Starlight!

Tristan

Tristan was diagnosed with DIPG at three years old – cancer of the brain stem, an almost non-survivable diagnosis. In his last months, Starlight granted Tristan his wish of playing the newest Pokémon game before its release, along with a whole truckload of toys. Tristan passed away in June 2018, but today, his parents fundraise for Starlight to both raise awareness and grant other children opportunities like this.

Sarah

Sarah was first diagnosed with leukemia in October 2012. Despite numerous rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, she has unfortunately relapsed three times, fighting this illness again now for the fourth. Throughout her journey, Starlight has provided Sarah and her family with day trips and events that help them remember better days, and look forward to the next one coming up.

About Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada

Starlight Children’s Foundation® Canada does what no medicine can do: create priceless smiles and memories for seriously ill children and their families. For over 30 years, Starlight Canada has been spreading joy to sick kids across the country through a unique blend of hospital to home programs designed for the whole family. With your help, together we can create more magic in-hospital, grant more wishes out-of-hospital and spread more sparkles across Canada!

You can keep up to date with Starlight smiles and support our mission by visiting www.starlightcanada.org, following us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and subscribing to our YouTube channel.

Leading pediatrician and child health expert, Dr. Dina Kulik, opens a one stop clinic offering pediatricians, allergists, neurologists, sport medicine doctors, gastroenterologists and more, combined with a kid-approved, interactive environment.

TORONTO, ON (July 5, 2017) - Visits to the doctor’s office will be met with newfound excitement by families in the Greater Toronto Area, as they celebrate the opening of Kidcrew, a brand new progressive, pediatric clinic located at the corner of Bathurst Street and St. Clair Street West (1440 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario). This one-of-a-kind facility, owned and operated by child health expert Dr. Dina Kulik, provides a one stop solution for kids’ health, accompanied with distractive entertainment; including kid-approved perks such as a toy-filled ‘klubhouse’ and an interactive children’s playground.

Spanning over 7,500 square feet, Kidcrew is home to a medical crew of over 30 specialists including: pediatricians, dentists, allergists, dermatologists, ear, nose and throat specialists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, hematologists, otolaryngologists, neurologists and sports medicine doctors; along with a wellness crew of lactation consultants, dietitians, psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, sleep clinicians, speech and language pathologists. Also in house: a soothing baby feeding room (dubbed the ‘milk bar’), and a private surgical recovery space.

“Kidcrew was carefully developed as a stress free, one stop, head to toe solution for children’s health care,” says Dr. Dina Kulik, owner Kidcrew. “Knowing that many households require harmonized medical attention beyond a general pediatrician, we provide parents with a collaborative, team-based approach to kids health.”

In addition to the services offered by the medical, wellness and dental crews during regular business hours, Kidcrew also provides seven-day a week after hours care, open to both patients and non-patients; ranging Monday to Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Services coming soon to the facility lineup include an audiologist, cardiologist, massage therapist, optometrist, respirologist and social workers.

“As a mother of (almost) four young children, I know the value of time-saving solutions in a busy household — Kidcrew provides just that, plus a non-traditional, fun environment for kids,” adds Dr. Dina Kulik. 

For a video tour of Kidcrew, click here.

To book an appointment at Kidcrew, please visit http://www.kidcrew.com, email medical@kidcrew.com or phone 416.654.KIDS (5437).

For more information, high resolution photos or interview requests, please contact:

Cory Stewart, EDPR, p. 647.638.1586, e. cory@embracedisruption.com

About Kidcrew:

Kidcrew is a forward-thinking clinic focused on patient experience, family centered-care and wellness for children and families of all ages. From pediatricians, to allergists, neurologists, sport medicine doctors and gastroenterologists, we have your family covered from head to toe.

Website: http://www.kidcrew.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kidcrewmedical/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidcrewmedical

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidcrewclinic/

About Dr. Dina Kulik:

Dr. Dina Kulik completed her Pediatrics Residency and Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children, where she is a Staff Physician. Dr Dina is one of Canada’s leading child health media experts, providing child health information through television, radio, print media and via her blog DrDina.ca. Above all, Dina’s greatest joy is her family and being the mom of three crazy boys.

Website: http://www.drdina.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DinaKulikMD

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrDinaKulik

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdinakulik/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrDinaKulik

#PRTip 3 – Make sure you can say your message in ‘sound bites’ i.e 10” – 15” secs. That’s maybe all the time you’ll get.

— Shiloh PR (@shilohpr) January 17, 2017

#PRtip: pitching is an art, not a science. Make sure your pitch is customized to make it appealing to your individual contact’s interest.

— See.Spark.Go (@seesparkgo) January 17, 2017

Proofing a co-workers’ piece? Don’t just check it on your monitor. Print a copy & read for content, spelling & grammar. #PRTip

— Leonard & Finco (@thePRexperts) January 17, 2017

Keep an eye on the weather. Look for ways to pitch your company in connection with a local or regional story in the news. #PRTip

— Leonard & Finco (@thePRexperts) January 16, 2017

#PRTip: Have a social strategy

Plan your messaging, platforms to use and your activity in detail before you post anything #socialmedia

— KD Communications (@KD_Comms) January 13, 2017

Nothing Sells Itself. #PRTip pic.twitter.com/kZFTImambA

— @ModionCommunication (@ModionComms) January 12, 2017

Never forsake the power of third-party credibility. #PRtip #ThursdayThought #TheInnerViewAdvisors pic.twitter.com/xZ8WT9fVIv

— TheInnerViewAdvisors (@InViewAdvisors) January 12, 2017

Looking to become a better public speaker? Practice in front of family, friends or co-workers and get their feedback. #PRTip

— Leonard & Finco (@thePRexperts) January 11, 2017

#PRTip Mix up your publicity/marketing strategies. Update your press photo, create a video blog or promo or reach out to a new media outlet.

— Susanne Pinedo (@PinedoPR) January 11, 2017

#PRtip: When was the last time you reviewed your website content? Make sure it’s up to scratch & reflects your firm’s current position

— LexRex Comms (@LexRexComms) January 10, 2017

When you call someone in the media, your first 4 words should be "Are you on deadline?" #PRTips #PRRockStar

— Pure PR (@PurePROKC) May 24, 2016

Become known in your community, then expand. Attend regional, state, national events, especially in your area, 4/month. #PRTips

— Cyndy Hoenig (@CyndyHoenig) May 24, 2016

#PRTip Tuesday! The headline of your press release can make or break the engagement to its receiver. Be enticing! #1stImpressions #PRLife

— Janiece Noel (@JanieceNoelPR) May 24, 2016

Humor can often increase engagement on your social media posts. Don’t be afraid to be funny! #PRTip

— Leonard & Finco (@thePRexperts) May 23, 2016

#PRTip: Measure your digital #PR success by delving into analytics. pic.twitter.com/KmaUybXqvb

— Aneela Rose PR (@AneelaRosePR) May 22, 2016

#PRTip Do not underestimate the power of #Calendar listings. Some even offer you to upload pics & videos to ensure optimal viewership.

— Susanne Pinedo (@PinedoPR) May 22, 2016

#PRTip: "Encourage an open-door policy with customers to gain valuable feedback." #PRAgency

— GreenRoom (@GRNRMAgency) May 21, 2016

Unless you have a weekend event, or want to purposely bury a story – never pitch the press or send out a press release on a Friday. #PRTip

— Jo Scard (@scardjo) May 21, 2016

#PRTip: PR stands for public relations – like any relationship, you have to work hard at it for it to succeed

— Julia Kendrick (@JRKendrick) May 20, 2016

Stay in tune with what others in your industry are doing. Follow their social media sites to stay up to date. #PRTip

— Leonard & Finco (@thePRexperts) May 20, 2016

To protect your content, consider these practices:

1. Include a copyright notice

A simple notice at the end of your blog stating that what’s written is your property, while giving instructions on how to properly quote or use any of the content will deter people from plagiarizing.

2. Google Alerts & Google Reporting

Submit your content to Google Alerts, this service will notify you if the same content is published elsewhere. We all have better things to do than troll the internet for thieves, making this a useful tool. If you happen to get a report or discover your content elsewhere there is a way to report it to Google. Google will then contact the server/author and have the content revisited or removed.

3. Watermark your multimedia

If you are publishing original photos, videos or any other multimedia try including a watermark to make sure you’re recognized for your creative content. Here is a tutorial on adding a watermark to your photography through photoshop. Remember, this is for the media you create: when using other people’s images be sure to include sources to recognize the original author.

4. Be Organized

• Create a folder including everything you write, post and create, including multi-media.
• If you receive sponsorship be sure to keep track of contacts, receipts, payments and notes on all interactions.
• Back it up! Back it up! Back it up!

5. Know the Law

• While plagiarism isn’t considered a legal offence (it is a moral and ethical offence), copyright infringement is a serious infraction as defined below:

“Copyright provides protection for literary, artistic, dramatic or musical works (Including computer programs) and other subject-matter known as performer’s performances, sound recordings and communication signals.” – “A Guide to Copyright.” Government of Canada, Industry Canada, Office of the Deputy Minister, Canadian Intellectual Property Office. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.

• “Fair dealing” under the Copyright Act of Canada is the understanding that it is ok for people to use copyrighted works in certain contexts, such as journalism, commentary, private study, criticism or satire. What this means is one can take someone else’s writing and include it in a post with links and sources to the original creator. 
• Photography is automatically copyrighted as it is an artistic work. If the artist is concerned about reproduction, they can submit it to the Canadian Copyright Office. Another form of protection is a copyright symbol or watermark to deter unlawful reproduction.

Since there are a few grey areas in the world of blogging, err on the side of caution when creating posts: always cite written and multi-media content, consult local laws concerning copyright or talk to a lawyer.

Have more tips to keep yourself protected? Leave them in the comments below!

Here are our Top 10 PR Pro Tips for this week, selected from Twitter. Remember to submit your own PR pro tip using the hashtag #PRTip or #PRTips. Your tweet could be featured here next week!

Here are our Top 10 PR Pro Tips for this week, selected from Twitter. Remember to submit your own PR pro tip using the hashtag #PRTip or #PRTips. Your tweet could be featured here next week!

Check out this video INFOGRAPHIC below (courtesy of BuzzFeed), detailing some of the breakfast specialties from around the world:

We are blessed to live in a fast paced world that spreads news at real time speed and is evolving by the second.  In the past, it was essential for television advertisements to air frequently and remain fresh in your mind. Now, it seems that we are more likely to remember an ad that was shown before a YouTube video or on the right side of our Facebook feed.

Is internet advertising taking over and leaving television in the dust?

(Source)

For the first time ever, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), internet advertising revenue report declared that advertising dollars spent on the internet exceeded television advertising. Internet advertising dollars were at a whopping 42.8 billion whereas television advertising made up for 40.1 billion in the U.S.

Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB  says, “The news that interactive has outperformed broadcast television should come as no surprise, it speaks to the power that digital screens have in reaching and engaging audiences. In that same vein, the staggering growth of mobile is clearly a direct response to how smaller digital screens play an integral role in consumers’ lives throughout the day, as well as their critical importance to cross-screen experiences.”

Internet advertising prices are subject to vary, however, Digiday reports what some of the most prominent internet channels are charging:

YouTube homepage takeover = $400,000
To own the large display ad with video on the YouTube homepage, advertisers pay an estimate of $400,000. They usually include a package with other media such as in-stream video ads, display ads, or featured video listings.

technologytell.com

Facebook log-out screen ad = $100,000

businessinsider.com

Twitter promoted trending topic = $120,000

easypurl.info

BuzzFeed sponsored article = $20,000

socialfresh.com

The increase in internet advertising doesn’t come as a shock. The average person is equipped with a device that makes internet viewing easier than ever. We are certain that this trend is going to continue to evolve as the internet continues to grow. It’s time to say “Good-bye” to the tube and “Good day” to the internet. 

Over the past 41 years the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives have collected an array of audio recordings covering a variety of topics and styles. Interviews, radio shows, music, protests and home recordings have all been donated to the CLGArchives. Beginning  on February 21 at 6 p.m. and ending on February 22 at 6 p.m. the tapes will be broadcasted continuously for the 24 hour period. Many of these tapes have not been heard in decades and they document extraordinary material from well-known figures and some from ordinary community members.Throughout the broadcast each tape will be digitized and cataloged in attempts of preservation.

This is a free event being put on by the CLGArchives and are three ways to listen to the experience in real time:

1. Visit shops and restaurants along Church St. where the audio will be played.

2. Visit the CLGArchives at 34 Isabella St. where you can experience the tapes as a group. Coffee and tea will be provided.

3. Listen at any location with at http://buddiesinbadtimes.com/listen

For more information please visit the Facebook event page or the CLGArchives website.

(Source)

We know wintertime can be a drag. With the holidays coming up, it becomes especially difficult to be merry and stress-free. We’re faced with lack of daylight, cloudy skies, cold weather, excessive spending on gifts for family & friend, battling colds and flus, and inevitable weight gain (we can go on and on). So, what’s the best thing to do this month to stay afloat? Plan a party. Getting your friends together for a fun night of cocktails and games can be the perfect mini-escape from stressful holiday season.

Here are 7 different ideas you can use to throw a successful and fun party – and temporarily get your mind off all the holiday stress.

Ugly Sweater Christmas Party – Who doesn’t love themed parties! Now you can finally unearth that hideous Christmas sweater your grandmother (bless her heart) gave you a few Christmases ago. If you’re lucky enough not to own one, it’s just as fun to go on an ugly-sweater-shopping adventure at your local thrift store with a friend. Give your guests even more incentive to wear an ugly sweater by having a contest for the ugliest sweater at the party with a prize (something inexpensive like a $10 Starbucks gift cards works well!)

Board game night – Don’t be fooled by this one! We promise it’s not as lame as it sounds. Although it might seem like the dullest way to spend an evening, inviting your friends over for a night of board games can actually give your brain the rest it needs during this stressful and (at-times) depressing season. By focusing on the game and the added competition against your friends, you’re taking your mind off of work, holiday expenses, travel arrangements, etc. It’s simple yet highly effective. Besides, staying indoors seems like a much nicer alternative than going out when it’s below 10 and snowing outside.

Christmas cocktail/mocktail party – This is a great party idea for all ages, as these drinks can easily be made alcohol-free. Make a list of 5-10 or so different drinks your guests can choose from at the party, be sure to buy all the ingredients you need to make the drink, and play bartender for the night (ok, not the whole night). Giving your guests the option to choose from different cocktails or mocktails can make your party much more appealing, rather than having just two or three drink options. You can also make the mock/cocktails in small test-size cups so they can try more than one drink. Check here for a list of delicious drink recipes.

Festivus – Seinfeld lovers unite! If Christmas songs, the millions of Christmas commercials, and the red and green colour combination are making you sick to your stomach, throw a Festivus party! Take part in the Festivus rituals, which include the airing of grievances and feats of strength. A Festivus themed party is the perfect alternative to those who are in desperate need of some comic relief amidst the madness of Christmas. Don’t forget the aluminum Festivus pole.

Potluck – The best part about a potluck is not having the stress of cooking enough food to feed all your guests – and worrying that you may not have cooked enough food for all your guests. Instead, have a holiday-themed potluck party where your guests can bring a dish of their choice. Make it easier for your guests by not having the dishes be holiday-specific (not everyone is a master chef).

Baking/Gingerbread House Decorating party – The holidays wouldn’t be the same without cookies and gingerbread houses. Pick a few different baking recipes, and gather your family, friends and kids (if you have them) and bake away! While you’re waiting for the cookies to bake, you can drink cocktails or hot chocolate with marshmallows while sitting around a warm fire (or candles, if you don’t have a fireplace).

A Classy Affair that’s laid back – If you just want a reason to dress up and have a good time, throw a classy holiday party with a laid back atmosphere. Tell your guests to dress up in their best attire, and have cocktails, champagne and snacks on hand to serve all night. For more intimate parties or smaller groups, you can host a nice sit-down dinner. Even though you’ll be dressed up, this doesn’t mean the party has to be stuffy and overly serious. Make sure to create a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere, so your guests don’t feel uncomfortable.

This week, we’d like to introduce you to Ivan, Director of the viral Youtube video, “Jessie J - Price Tag lipdub by 500 women in Uganda“ Ivan is the owner of an Amsterdam-based production company, 2FILM, and he is a freelance ad agency creative and director. 

What’s your official job title, and where did you go to school?

I studied film directing at the Dutch Tv and Film Academy in Amsterdam. After that I worked several years in television, mostly on human interest shows. I now own a production company 2FILM, and I work as a freelance creative and director for ad agencies based in Amsterdam.

Elevator pitch. Describe yourself in a nutshell (or sea shell, or any shell for that matter).

My best friend calls me the hornet. He thinks I like to sting people and situations but also in my work in order to provoke a reaction, to get people out of their comfort zones. He values this in me btw

Why did you pursue what you’re doing now? What was the inspiration?

As a creative and filmmaker I like to create images that make you rethink what you believe in or which play with certain assumptions. In case of the lipdub I wanted to make a campaign video about African women where the stereotypes about Africans and development aid were questioned. When I worked in television for a show about development aid, I noticed most people in the West have to sustain this image of needful Africans, because it helps them feel good about themselves.  I not only think that’s un fair towards people there, but I also believe that it’s nasty and naïve. It supports a development aid industry based in the west and completely ignores the need of people there. People do not want to be helped, they want a chance to help themselves.

What is the best part of your day-to-day?

I love living and working in Amsterdam. It’s such a beautiful city and cyclist-friendly. I love getting on to my bike every morning and biking over the little bridges and canals to a client or to a new edit.  Other than living in Amsterdam what I like about my job is the power to tell stories. Whether it’s for an NGO or a commercial client, organizations nowadays need to tell REAL and AUTHENTIC stories. The times that a hot model was enough to sell a product are over. People just don’t buy that stuff anymore. They simply filter it out of their head. If you want to get your message across as a brand or an NGO, you must ask yourself : “Do I have a good story to tell?” I always try to ask myself, “The story I’m telling, would I believe it and share it with my friends?” If so, that’s what I do my best to make.

What’s the most challenging?

Most commercial clients still do not understand this because the people on top are guys who do not understand the internetz and how it talks to people. It takes a lot of time, patience and effort to explain.

If you took a look in the cliché crystal ball, what do you see for yourself?

I would never do that, knowing what comes is boring.

How do you embrace disruption in your work and personal life?

My starting point mostly is to take an archetypical image and ask myself what has absolutely not been done to this image. Mostly it produces in the beginning a lot of useless material but the process itself helps me to define that the sensibilities are on a certain subject and to use this when we create a concept.

In the case of the lipdub video, I noticed real genuine fun was never filmed in development aid commercials. It’s always either “help this poor woman feed her baby” or “support this little boy to make a great future for himself”, as if they were never having fun themselves, and that’s what I wanted to show. The lipdub also works on a different level I believe.  It’s like a smack in the face. It’s like the women are saying: “Who do you think you are believing we can’t also have fun? Get real! We are the same. So if you want to help us, help us because of that basic human recognition and not because you think we are sad.” I noticed many younger viewers of the lipdub video reacted positively on this message.

What is the most memorable moment in your career?

Going back to the largest African lipdub video, my most memorable moment was the last day of shooting. We just filmed our last scene with over 500 women on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. It was hot, the crew was exhausted, the women were hungry and cranky, and I just aged 4 years in 4 days. I thought, “My God, give me strength to finish this before I collapse,” Then the last take was filmed and instead of going home, the women gathered and started celebrating that the shoot went well. They suddenly did not have to go home to cook meals for their husbands or work on the field, they just started partying. The sun was going down, the camera woman Berta Banacloche ( http://bertabanacloche.com), producer Duko Hopman (microbanker.com), and I looked to each other and experienced  such happiness. We knew we had something special on camera. See link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKWyC6zxFs0

Do you support any initiatives or charities? Tell us about it, and please provide links!

I definitely support the work of microbanker (www.microbanker.com). They help these women in Uganda with small loans to start up their own business. The idea is to empower women to take life into their own hands and to spend the earned money as they feel like without patronizing them.

Tell us what you see yourself doing at 65 years old.

With all the technological advances going on in the medicine there is a good chance I will make it past 100, so by the time I’m 65 I might decide it’s time to switch careers and become an astronaut.

Just for fun: if you had to pick one app in the whole APPVERSE, what would it be?

Well if there is an app which makes you understand women better I would definitely downloaded it. After working with 500 women for 2 weeks in Uganda I realized I just don’t get them.

(Source)

Last week we wrote about different ways your business or brand can get the most use out of Instagram. This week we’re tackling one that is sometimes slightly more difficult for a brand, as it depends highly on the product and type of business you are promoting.

Many businesses create a Pinterest account because it is one of the many widely used social media platforms. It seems to have become a belief that as long as your account is present, you have a presence in the social media world. This is not true. Many businesses either do not use Pinterest correctly (as well as other social media platforms that we will cover in the next few weeks) or they do not use it at all because they do not see any or enough feedback. Here are ways to use Pinterest in order to get the most for you brand, product or business.

1. Determine your audience: While Instagram is devoted to just images (which can cover a wider scope of businesses and brands), Pinterest is a combination of images and content. It’s also important to remember that Pinterest is a social media platform that caters to DIY crafts, recipes, design tips, fashion, etc. Determine the type of product you are promoting or the nature of your business and whether or not your audience would benefit from your boards/pins. For example, a furniture designer could boost their popularity by pinning images of their past, current or future design projects. One board could be devoted to furniture they have designed, while another board could be devoted to simple, low-cost design ideas for interior spaces. By doing this, they are simultaneously promoting their brand and giving design tips to their followers without appearing to be pushing sales on a specific product.

2. Pinterest takes time: Just like most social media networks, you need to devote a lot of time and patience in order to create meaningful and quality content that will draw attention and get re-pinned. There is no quick and easy way to get thousands of followers and re-pins, so it’s important to be realistic and manage your time accordingly.

3. Stick with a familiar username: If you have a specific username that you have used for your Instagram or Twitter accounts, make sure your Pinterest (and other social media accounts) are the same. If the username is unavailable, alter it (for example a number at the end or a dash in the middle) but keep the name the same. By using your business or brand name for your username, it will be much easier for your customers to find and follow you. When your content gets re-pinned, then your brand or business name becomes visible to a much larger audience.

4. Link  accounts: If you already have established Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts, be sure to link those accounts to your Pinterest. Your followers that are already on Pinterest can now follow you and have access to more of your content.

5. Give your pin boards descriptive names: Boards function as a virtual pinboard where your business or brand can share their latest ideas, designs, etc. Using descriptive names makes it easier to organize your pins and, consequently, your ideas as well. Cluttered boards with mismatched or irrelevant pins are an eye-sore, which could hurt your brand’s reputation by driving away potential customers. Narrowing your boards even further (for example, to specific colours of a certain product) can make it easier for your followers to find a design in that specific colour.

6. Re-pin and follow: Possibly the most important part of Pinterest (we just love alliterations), re-pinning and following businesses or brands similar to your own helps to promote your own business. Re-pinning also helps to get your business’ name out to customers as well as potential clients. If you own a textile company, you could use Pinterest to target a specific designer you would like to work with and re-pin their images. This helps you to network and open up communication between businesses with which you could potentially collaborate.

7. Curating content beyond your brand: This blurb goes hand in hand with the one above in regards to re-pinning. You can devote one specific day a week where you select a unique idea, product or design beyond your brand and re-pin it onto your specific board. You can choose something simple and catchy, such as “Friday Fashion Find.” By curating these unique designs and products, your business is viewed as knowledgeable and up-to-date in the field.

8. Be creative: We’ll keep this one short and sweet. Pinterest is all about creativity! If your pins come off as too serious or are blatantly trying to drive sales, you will lose your followers and your customers’ interest. Pinterest users want to see real people behind the business or brand. By portraying this aspect of reality, or real people behind a business, it enables your costumers to relate more to your product.

(Source)

“In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community…either accidentally or with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.” (Wikipedia)

It’s inevitable: you will encounter an internet troll at least once in your life, especially if you are a frequent blogger, tweeter, vlogger, person of interest etc. There are people out there who lurk in the shadows behind their computer preying on individuals who voice an opinion or present an idea that is different from their own. Nothing you say or do will stop them from making nasty comments.

There are varying levels of internet trolls that you should know about. Some produce harmless, negative comments that might annoy you or anger you, while others threaten harm or even death. How do you differentiate between the trolls, and when should you react?

Aggressive troll: If you’ve ever scrolled down to the comments section on YouTube (it’s a guilty pleasure), you will find the worst of the worst when it comes to internet trolls. This type of troll is easier to spot. They use profanity, racial slurs, wish death upon the author of the content, bodily harm, harm to their family or employees, and other violent things. Don’t let this type of troll get to you. Trolls survive off of defensive, over-emotional responses, and they feed on those victims who respond that way. Don’t take it personally. Let’s use an example:

Anonymous writes, “This blog post sucks. I hope all your fingers get broken and you never get to write again because you clearly have no brain function to produce decent ideas. I also hope you get in a car accident that permanently disables you because this planet has no use for you,”

Ouch. Your heart is racing, you have never read such awful things being wished upon you, and you want to respond emotionally because you don’t deserve such a fate. Stop. Breathe. No matter how nasty the comment is, don’t take it personally. Chances are you have never met this person in your life and you never will. You have three options on how to deal with the comment: erase and forget about it, ignore it, or respond politely.

“Thanks for the feedback. What sort of topics would you like me/us to cover in the future?”

If the troll responds with more aggression, you can ignore it. If there is no constructive criticism, you will gain nothing from it. Remember that you are not posting content online in order to preserve or defend your sense of self. You’re posting content that represents your ideas, your opinions, your product, your creativity, etc. Not everyone will agree, and that is ok.

The troll trying to change the world: You will come across this troll by voicing your satisfaction with a certain product, company, political or religious stance. This troll will come out of nowhere and attempt to make you feel embarrassed about your personal opinion by stating facts that support the opposing view. They may or may not include any curse words or racial slurs. Respond in a passive, emotionless way. Thank them for their input, state your own facts if they’re questioning your brand or product, ask how it could be improved, and move on.

The fake profile troll: This troll will create an account on a social media site posing as a somebody else or somebody you might know. They will try to get a rise out of you by spreading rumors, sending vicious messages, threats, and posting inappropriate photos where they may tag you. This could be a difficult troll to ignore, but ignoring them is your best weapon of defense. Do not argue with them, and certainly do not threaten legal action as that can only worsen the situation. Block that person from your own account and continue to do so even if they keep making new profiles. Trolls eventually tire and go onto the next victim when the current one isn’t giving in. The only way you will win is by remaining calm and collected – or at least appearing so.

Sources:

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/How_to_deal_with_vile_nasty_comments_online_11553.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)
http://www.webroot.com/us/en/home/resources/tips/pc-security/you-cant-win-an-argument-with-a-troll
http://www.business2community.com/blogging/how-to-handle-nasty-comments-on-your-business-blog-0570591

• Gaining feedback on service, events and menu items.
• Promoting and showing off menu items.
• Sharing specials.
• Recruiting.
• Monitoring reputation.

To find out how PR agencies (like us) can help with your restaurant’s social media strategy and execution, please send us an email, we’d love to hear from you!

Check out the full list below, along with a handy guide on which social networks to use for each tactic

Earlier in the year, we wrote a blog post outlining how to better your restaurant’s publicity: you can find that piece by clicking here.

In the PR industry, it’s essential to be organized and on the ball. Our clients expect us to be up-to-date and relevant in a variety of industries; so there are a few apps that we have come to rely on here at the office that help us to bring our ‘A’ game every time.

1. HootSuite has many functions. It allows you to monitor multiple Twitter feeds for your different clients and you can schedule tweets ahead of time. You can also monitor mentions and you can select certain news feeds to follow (like a competitor) to stay up-to-date with the conversations surrounding your industry.

2. Zite is a useful tool for compiling top news stories in one app. You can choose the industries you would like to hear about, like social media, politics, current events, PR news, etc., so you can stay up-to-date with what’s going on in the world.

3. Google Drive allows you to store all your documents in one place. On the go a lot? This app is definitely a life saver when you need access to a document but are away on business. It’s also incredibly easy to file share with this handy app.

4. Flipboard is useful for putting all of your interests into one place. Similar to Zite, Flipboard chooses the top news stories based on your selected interests. It also displays your Twitter news feed and you can make your own magazines by saving stories and sharing them with selected friends. It’s great for sharing event ideas!

5. Trello a fancy to-do list and notepad for recording ideas. This app is useful for tracking what you need to do during the day, items that need to be picked up and projects completed. A great app for staying organized while on the go!

6. Facebook Pages is useful if you manage multiple pages on Facebook. Here, you can monitor conversation about your client/business and respond to fans. You can upload and edit photos, send private messages and create posts all from your phone!

So what do hashtags mean for you and your business? Well, there will be the usual #Imustfitinasmanyhashtagsaspossible friends you may have to scroll through, but it will also open up new opportunities for businesses to track their products.

With the new Facebook hashtags, businesses can promote a certain hashtag for fans to use when discussing a product and can follow the conversation in a separate pop-up window. Rest assured, if your privacy settings are share with “friends only” than your hashtags will not be shared in the pop-up window.

According to Facebook’s Greg Lindley, there are more features coming, ”Hashtags are just the first step to help people more easily discover what others are saying about a specific topic and participate in public conversations.”

‘We’ll continue to roll out more features in the coming weeks and months, including trending hashtags and deeper insights, that help people discover more of the world’s conversations.”

It looks like Facebook’s hashtags are going to be similar to the way they are used on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, but with an opportunity to go over the 140 character limit. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement that is the hashtag, but it’s good to be mindful of how many you use and when, whether you are a business or not. A good rule of thumb for businesses are to use the hashtag when it’s relevant and never more than two or three at a time.
Sources;

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2340891/Facebook-introduces-hashtags-following-steps-Twitter-Instagram.html#ixzz2WCofoYnW
http://www.ignitesocialmedia.com/facebook-marketing/facebook-hashtags-for-brands/

It appears that fans were upset (to say the least) at the final episodes of the season, but what we found particularly interesting here at EDPR was the amount of fans outraged at the spoilers! If you couldn’t watch the episode on TV the night it aired, you were forced into utter seclusion from all social media forums, or risk spoiling the episode, which happened to a vast majority of viewers. This is just another example of how social media is a huge part of our daily lives.

Below is a video, courtesy of BuzzFeed, of 12 Signs You Might Be Addicted to a TV Show and the TV show featured is none other than The Game of Thrones. Enjoy!

(Image via)

Public relations newbies, do not let your summers waste away! The end of August will slowly but surely creep up on you and you don’t want to have nothing to show for it when it does. Use this extra time to prepare and put yourself ahead of others. Being a newbie myself, these are the few things that really helped me get started.

Do Your Research

You don’t have to plan everything out, but researching about the PR field is a good start. Get to know the different sectors and get a heads up on what to expect. Pay attention to the day-to-day responsibilities, potential outlook and opportunities, earnings, and the educational path you need to take to get there.

PR Radar

It’s always important to stay on top of the news and what is going on in the PR field. Put the companies you want to work for on your radar and take note of their latest moves and projects. This will be useful for when you want to apply for a position in their company. You can read their press releases, join their LinkedIn company profile, or subscribe to their Twitter feed.

Perfect Your Cover Letter and Resume

Your cover letter and resume are written first impressions. Use your cover letter to pull potential employers in by providing a brief summary of your experience and what assets you can bring to the table. Stay away from using cliché words and phrases. Keep your letter light and interesting to read. Your resume should complement your letter. This is where you provide a more detailed description of previous education, work experience and responsibilities.

Remember to proofread everything before sending your applications out. Ask others to read it over; they might notice small errors that you may have overlooked.

Do an Internship

PR is all about the internships. Although your academic background is an important factor, previous related work experience is invaluable. Use the internship to start building professional relationships and to learn as much as you can. Soak up everything that happens around you and never be afraid to ask questions or share ideas. The more you put into the position, the more you will get out of it.

An internship is also the perfect opportunity to make personal decisions about what you do and do not want to do in the future. As an intern, you will get to do a little bit of everything so take note on the areas that best suits your skills and interests.

Use your connections and reach out to professionals

Use your connections. A big part of PR is the people you know so it is never too early to start building your network. If there is a PR professional that you have the smallest mutual connection with, don’t be afraid of reach out to them and see if they’re up for setting up an informational meeting or interview. The best way is to reach them through email or twitter.

Since social media has grown to have a large presence in public relations, venture out onto their company’s Facebook or Twitter pages. Leaving smart comments and retweets will show your interest in their company. The point is, get noticed!

With that said, do not pester the person you are trying to reach out to. If they don’t get back to you, it is probably because they are too busy at the moment or they are not interested. Don’t spam them with emails or Facebook likes. When they want to or have the time to respond, they will.

Go On Interviews

Even if you already have in internship secured, go to the interview. Use it to gain the extra experience or see it as practice for future interviews. It also gives you a chance to talk to someone who is currently in the field, so any information or advice you get from them will be useful. Ask questions and keep their feedback in mind.

If you have the time and ability, it never hurts to juggle two internships at once either. And you never know, you might land an internship for fall from one of these interviews!

Start building up your portfolio

A portfolio can help you alongside the cover letter and resume in a job application or interview. Start collecting pieces of your work that best reflect your strengths. If you’re better in writing, put together the short stories that you have written in your free time or the press release assignments from school. If your strengths lie in the visual side, build a portfolio of your animations and artworks. This gives employers a chance to see what you are capable of and what to expect from you as a potential intern.

Expand your LinkedIn profile

Before calling you in for an interview, employers will probably look for your LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have one already, make one. LinkedIn is a useful online tool that can be used to showcase your work experience and develop a processional online presence. It makes for faster networking and also easier for employers to contact you.

Click here for tips on how to brand yourself on LinkedIn!

Don’t Throw Away Business Cards
If a PR professional gives you their business card, keep it. You might need a favour or someone’s contact info one day.

Written by EDPR intern, Vivian Kwong

This past month has been a tough one for clothing company, Abercrombie & Fitch. It’s definitely been a lesson in tough love after comments CEO Mike Jefferies made back in 2006 came to light thanks to a book co-authored by Robin Lewis that exposes the inner workings of the retail industry. All the comments made by Jefferies in the interview concerning his company were pretty jarring, including the stipulation that his company sell nothing larger than a woman’s size large for shirts and a size 10 in pants. In that interview with Salon magazine back in 2006 Jefferies had this to say,

“In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids. Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely… we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that.”

Now the problem here isn’t that A&F choses to only cater a specific body type/type of person, that’s the whole point of segmenting and targeting a market, you cannot possibly appeal to everyone. The problem plaguing Mike Jefferies is that he is speaking about it publicly and alienating a good portion of the population in the process. People use a variety of factors when deciding what brand to purchase and a person’s morals and ethics often play a role in their buying decisions. Which begs the question, why would a consumer make the conscious decision to purchase items from a brand that is openly feeding into society’s obsession with the ‘supermodel image’ and fanning the flames of teenage girls’ body issues?

On that issue, Ellen probably says it best:

After these comments started making the rounds a few weeks ago many different groups, from body image activists, to parent and consumer groups, even groups of teenagers and young adults came out against A&F staging protests and starting online petitions. A Change.org petition garnered 70,000+ signatures quickly, each standing up against the elitist nature of the clothing company. Benjamin O’Keefe, who started the petition, had a chance to meet with the team at Abercrombie & Fitch and tell his story of eating disorders, body image issues and suicidal thoughts. Speaking to Huffington Post Live yesterday, O’Keefe announced that A&F was working toward announcing changes to their brand. While this news is great to hear, has the damage already been done? Or can the brand image be saved?

From a financial perspective, the company has been taking a hit this year already. Before any of these comments hit the mainstream media sales in the first quarter of 2013 were down 17%. Consequently, the announcement of the sales slump led to a 10% drop in stock prices. Now Mike Jefferies contributes these sales drops to shortages in supply and outside influences, which very well may be the case, but let’s wait and see what becomes of the company’s second quarter numbers. As Robin Roberts of Good Morning America stated, “The consumers have the power to vote with their dollars.” Let’s see what the consumers will do with them.

As for apologizing, the company has issued 2 apologies since Mike Jefferies’ comments were made public. The first from Jefferies himself that stated that his comments (which are 7 years old remember) were ‘taken out of context’ and he’s sorry that people interpreted them the way they did.  The second was made by a company spokesperson after they met with Benjamin O’Keefe and the members of a group that protested Abercrombie in Chicago. Thankfully this one seemed to show more understanding reading,

“We look forward to continuing this dialogue and taking concrete steps to demonstrate our commitment to anti-bullying in addition to our ongoing support of diversity and inclusion. We want to reiterate that we sincerely regret and apologize for any offense caused by comments we have made in the past which are contrary to these values.”

What do you make of this whole PR disaster?

Sources

http://globalnews.ca/news/592736/elite-to-elitist-how-the-abercrombie-and-fitch-ceo-may-have-crossed-the-line/ 

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/05/abercrombie-apologizes-retailer-meets-with-teens-to-address-controversy/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/abercrombie-fitch-female-employees-mens-clothing-kjerstin-gruys_n_3367200.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/04/abercrombie-protesters-brand-attitude_n_3380628.html?ir=Business

Jennifer Lawrence for Miss Dior
With her recent Academy Award win and her upcoming sequel to The Hunger Games trilogy, Jennifer Lawrence has been killing it lately. The humble 20-year-old actress was announced to replace Mila Kunis as the new face of Dior’s Miss Dior handbag. When first shown images from the campaign, Jennifer told Access Hollywood, “That doesn’t look like me at all. I love Photoshop more than anything in the world. People don’t look like that.” (Source)

Beyonce for H&M
Beyonce flaunts her perfect post-baby beach bod in H&M’s latest “Beyonce as Mrs. Carter” campaign. Think Beyonce and bikinis, and this is what you get. Her glowing bronze skin and fearless posing though, may be too much for locals of the Lower East side of New York City. Residents have been ‘censoring’ a bus stop poster ad with a sheet of paper, covering the lower half of the shot. (Source)

Cara Delevingne for DKNY
From becoming every fashion designer’s must-have runway model to being Rihanna’s new bestie, Cara Delevingne is the new girl everyone wants to be friends with. Starring in DKNY’s spring 2013 campaign, Cara showcases their vibrant collection in the streets of New York City. (Source)

Coco Rocha for Longchamp
Coco Rocha returns for a third season campaign with Longchamp’s Spring 2013. This time around, she is rushing into an airport and uses the security check as her dance op. Busting a move on set is nothing out of the ordinary for the dancer-turned model, as she is famous for Irish-dancing down the runway for Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fall/Winter 2007 show. (Source)

Amanda Seyfried for Givenchy
Amanda Seyfried looks absolutely breathtaking in the new TV commercial for Givenchy’s “Very Irresistable” perfume. She is seen strutting into a small café – western style, before showing off her rosy pink lips and signature gold locks. (Source)

ADDITIONAL SOURCES:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2322274/Amanda-Seyfried-Very-Irr-sistible-new-Givenchy-perfume-advert.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

http://hypetrak.com/2013/04/beyonce-hm/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/29/dior-veil-jennifer-lawrence-ad_n_2980953.html

http://www.whosay.com/cocorocha/photos/304137

http://fashiongonerogue.com/see-amanda-seyfried-star-in-givenchy-very-irresistible-tv-spot/

Since its inception, LinkedIn has been a destination for professionals to connect and share achievements, while proudly displaying a working copy of their online resumes.  LinkedIn announced Wednesday May 1^st that users can now include visual representations of their work, allowing for companies and potential co-workers to see achievements even before making contact!

This addition means that photographers will now be able to upload samples of their work; video editors can upload films or commercials they have worked on and fashion designers can put their sketches on display. Not only will users be able to upload these images, video and/or presentations from their own computers, but they will also be able to link to content from other sites while providing detailed descriptions and explanations as to why the visuals were included.

With the inclusion of the new Personal Portfolio section of LinkedIn, people will also be able to ‘like,’ comment and ‘share’ all uploaded materials. This will definitely come in handy when trying to scout talent: just locate a candidate’s LinkedIn resume and share the examples of their past work with the team. Members of the same professional communities can also offer their peers feedback and suggestions on their work.

Sources

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/05/linkedin-professional-portfolio/

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2418429,00.asp

http://mashable.com/2013/05/01/linkedin-visual-profile/

Each week at Embrace Disruption we introduce you to an influential person in the digital, blogger, arts, culture, film, or media world! Every Thursday, you can check back at EDPR to find out who we think is particularly amazing at ‘embracing disruption’ within their respective industries. This week, we’d like to introduce you to Starlight Canada’s Chief Operating Officer, Jeannie O’Regan!

What’s your official job title, and where did you go to school?

• Chief Operating Officer, Starlight Children’s Foundation
• Ryerson University, Event Planning and Management
• George Brown, Business Management

Elevator pitch. Describe yourself in a nutshell (or sea shell, or any shell for that matter).

I am a successful meeting/event planner and operations executive with 20 years’ experience providing services and cultivating change. I have excellent hands-on skills in clarifying needs, creating opportunities, nurturing relationships, and growing profits.

I often refer to myself as an M&M … hard exterior shell but soft on the inside.

Why did you pursue what you’re doing now? What was the inspiration?

There’s a time in your life when you have to decide if your high-paying yet high-stress job is worth it.  I truly believe that when you are passionate about something, you give your all to what you are doing – Starlight has given me that passion back.  I know what I do has a positive impact on the lives of so many children and their families and that is food for my soul.

I’m inspired by my family and by the support they’ve given me.  I’m inspired by children who struggle through illnesses day in and day out and yet can still smile.   I am inspired by animals that are abused and yet still trust in humans.

What is the best part of your day-to-day?

Professionally – having a parent or child contact me about how we made a difference.

Personally – when my kids tell me they love me every morning.   Unconditional love … it doesn’t get any better than that!

What’s the most challenging?

When I see pictures or hear stories of Starlight children who have passed, my heart breaks and I find myself giving my kids an extra squeeze when I get home.

If you took a look in the cliché crystal ball, what do you see for yourself?

All of life is experienced through the present moment; therefore the future does not exist. By the time tomorrow comes it is now the present moment!

How do you embrace disruption in your work and personal life?

As Charles Kettering once said, “The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.” I have learned to embrace change … good and bad; it is about moving forward, learning from our successes and our failures and making the best of each moment.

What is the most memorable moment in your career?

It would have to be the first event I planned on my own.  It was the year 2000 and I had played a supporting role in dozens of events by then.  This event was in its 20^th-plus year and it was stale.  It wasn’t expected to survive and they took a chance that I could breathe fresh life into it.  It was a resounding success and went on to be the premier industry event in healthcare (in fact, the event is still held each year … my legacy lives on!).

Do you support any initiatives or charities? Tell us about it, and please provide links!

I’m a softie when it comes to those who can’t defend themselves.  Children, animals, the elderly.

Starlight is obviously dear to my heart (www.starlightcanada.org) but I also support Plan Canada – the “Because I’m a Girl” campaign is brilliant.  (http://plancanada.ca/BecauseIamaGirlOverview) and small community animal shelters.

Tell us what you see yourself doing at 65 years old.

Definitely retired but not idle!  I want to sit on a Board to keep my mind sharp.  Travel to experience new things.  Enjoying life to its fullest in all regards!

Just for fun: if you had to pick one app in the whole APPVERSE, what would it be?

I’m a news geek! Zite is my go-to APP everyday.  Zite analyzes feeds to create a magazine tailored my interests from a variety of sources. One-stop-shop reading!

(Image Source)

Data Collection

The original idea for an infographic often comes from a question someone poses or a pile of information they have collected. After the original source of information/data for a potential infographic is identified, it is time to start branching out to other sources. The idea is to create the complete picture and landscape of the given situation so that there are no holes in the data. If a hole exists in the data, it is only going to frustrate everyone and waste time when it has to be filled in the future.

Formulating the Outline

The purpose of an infographic is to convey a story to the people who come across it. A bunch of seemingly unconnected facts and figures aren’t going to appeal to someone in the way the statistics behind one particular, central topic are. For example, we posted an infographic a couple months ago about the Grammys winners if awards were given out based on online/social media presence; there was a lot of information but it was all on one topic. The worst thing that could happen is having all the boring data translate to a boring infographic.

Here’s a tip: make sure you know the information & data backwards and forwards by the time you go and create the infographic, this will make it easier to flush out a story.

Trouble Shoot

So you know what you want the infographic to say but is it feasible given the data you’ve collected? The last thing you want to do is mislead people looking at the finished product by intentionally leaving out data because it doesn’t support the story. What you do want to do is present the data picture in its entirety and let the viewers and readers interpret it. You want their response to be, “I know what they are trying to say, and this is what I’m gathering from this infographic.”

Finding the “Hero”

You have figured out the story you want to tell with your data and if it is feasible or not, now to figure out which specific piece of information to make your ‘hero’ piece of data. The ‘hero’ piece of data is that one statistic or figure that will get people excited about the story. It will be the focal point that the other chosen data will revolve around to help communicate the narrative to the audience.

Building the Graphic

After the hierarchy for the data is determined, the visual representation of the infographic begins to take shape. There are many popular formats for displaying data, including the traditional graphs and charts. If the data merits it, you can choose to display the data using diagrams, flowcharts or maps. The deciding factor of how the data should be displayed in the final project all depends on the data itself and the story to be conveyed. To make the most of the visual appeal of the infographic, be sure to consider the colours and typography used.

A Thorough Going Over

So the design of the infographic is complete and all the data is displayed, you’re done right? Wait, slow down a little, there is one more step before your informative masterpiece can be unleashed to the masses: editing & revisions. Just like any good report, press release or company project, an infographic needs to be pored over by those who created it, and those who didn’t! The infographic should be made to fit in with any existing branding or identity; why would a company create an infographic that goes against part/all of their core message? Additionally, you want to ensure the data is presented in a way that is easy to read and understand for those that are unfamiliar with it. That is why you want those outside the creative circle who developed it to look it over.

Release the Beast

Finally, the time has come to unleash your infographic onto the public at large! Most infographics are released and shared online in some fashion, they may end up in a print publication as well. The advantage to this is that the audience of your work will be much larger and reach those both within your target audience and beyond. It is also easier to garner and compile feedback to the infographic in an online setting, often in a much timelier manner than print. Feedback after publishing can generate discussion & illuminate a different dimension to the data presented.

But once the infographic is published, don’t forget about it. You spent all this time and effort to create it in the first place, why let that go to waste if new data is released? Make sure you keep tabs on the important information and sources to update and revise the infographic as required. It’s easier to update than to create a whole to project!

So there you have it, a detailed, step-by-step guide to creating effective, appealing infographics to engage your audience. Now get busy creating!

Hashtags: defined as those no space phrases starting with ‘#’ that so many people use on Twitter. Hashtags started out as a way for people to track specific phrases and trends on Twitter, but now they seem to have blown up on all social networks as a snarky way to add commentary – serving no other real purpose. Admittedly, we’ve always found it incredibly irritating when hashtags were used on Facebook for no real rhyme or reason. Now, those pesky hashtags on Facebook may have a real purpose.

The powers-that-be at Facebook are toying with the idea of using the hashtags to group conversations on a specific topic, much like what is seen on Twitter. This will help facilitate organizing social comments on television shows, movies and even event specific tags. Sources say that Facebook hashtags are currently in testing phase, but aren’t going to be introduced to the entire user population right away.

So what exactly is Zuckerberg seeking to accomplish by letting people use hashtags in their posts and status updates? Besides allowing ‘trending topics’ and popular conversations to have a common place to be archived; the hope is that Facebook users will spend more time on the site, scroll through chats, and ultimately consume more advertising. It’s no secret that Facebook’s user engagement is dropping, and the social heavyweight is loosing loyal users on a daily basis.

 The Evolution of Facebook

The move to hashtags is all part of the Facebook evolution. Mark Zuckerberg has stated in interviews he wants Facebook to become a “personalized newspaper” for users; similar to Twitter’s end goal. This aligns closely with the introduction of features like the new news feed design, the ability to subscribe to users and the graph search. It’s important to note: Facebook pulled in $4.3 Billion USD last year: 4 times higher than Twitter’s revenue. The gap on the mobile platform is smaller, $249 million this year for Twitter, versus Facebook’s $851 million.

That said, Twitter is working towards closing this gap. By allowing advertisers to ‘pay to trend’ or have their trend promoted within a user’s timeline, Twitter assists in exposing brands to a wider audience while hashtags remain a unique or compelling way to drive up click rates. We estimate Facebook will replicate this model, allowing people/brands to pay to promote specific hashtags.

So what do you think about Facebook copying the Twitter hashtag model? And who do you think will ultimately win the social media ‘war’ between Twitter and Facebook?

GetGlue is an entertainment-based social media tool that lets users ‘check-in’ to the shows, movies, music, books and sports they’re watching/listening to. In return, the user can earn virtual stickers to mark their check-ins. These stickers can include limited editions for premiere episodes or opening weekends, along with achievement stickers for using GetGlue often or checking into a particular show on a consistent basis. In the spirit of sharing, users can also connect their social media accounts and choose to share their GetGlue check-ins via Facebook, Twitter and/or Tumblr. The more media you check into, the better the recommendations GetGlue can give you when you’re in a bind. User information is compiled to provide expert recommendations on fellow user media consumption patterns.

Movies ‘cling’ to Top-of-Mind thanks to GetGlue

The nature of GetGlue lends itself very well to being used as a marketing tool for individual shows, as well as to networks and studios. Movie distributors have invited fans of upcoming releases to check-in to their movie before the release date to receive exclusive stickers or sneak-peeks. What a great way to create buzz for your movie, and garner organic virality on user’s social media feeds!  Television networks have a bit of a different tactic. I noticed when I checked into the show ‘White Collar’ last night,  there was a 15% merchandise discount being offered to those checking in.  Clever, no?

Currently GetGlue has a variety of partners including 20th Century Fox, The CW, AMC, ABC Family, Disney Theatrical, Discovery, ESPN, FOX, Food Network, Hachette, HBO, HGTV, MTV, MSNBC, Showtime, Penguin, PBS, WWE, Random House, Simon and Schuster, Syfy, Sony Pictures, Travel Channel, USA Network, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. theatrical.

Direct TV is also a GetGlue partner. They offer viewers the opportunity to check in to shows on their television screen; doesn’t get much simpler than that, increasing the chances that people will actually use GetGlue.

The GetGlue system of ‘checking in’ to a movie or television program is also a good way to gauge the size of an audience watching at any given time. Users can monitor comments related to their check-ins, in order to get a feel for what other viewers like or dislike about the show.

The ‘stickers’ are definitely the MVP that makes GetGlue unique. Gamification remains a strong incentive for consumers, the act of collecting appeals to the competitive aspect of human nature.

GetGlue is a great combination of entertainment and marketing activation  – a format they should definitely “stick” to. Get it?

The entire Internet is abuzz today with the second inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama. Every one of my social media feeds is wall-to-wall Obama, from what everyone is wearing, to the performers and celebrities/politicians in attendance. The theme for the Inauguration (which also happens to fall on Martin Luther King Jr. Day) is “Faith in America’s Future” and if the crowd in this picture (below) from the National Mall is anything to go on, young and old alike believe that the re-election of Barack Obama will mean good things for the future of their nation.

The 57^th Presidential Inauguration is live streamed both on television and the Internet simultaneously, with no delay in the Presidential address reaching the ears of the world. In the time before there was a television in every home, and a computer in pretty much everyone’s hand, the White House had to wait days or weeks for their news and mandates to reach the people, delaying timely communication that government strives for. Luckily, we’re living in the Internet Age of ‘instant gratification’, where users voice their opinions and share their thoughts immediately – sometimes to a fault!

Obama is #5 on the list of Twitter users with the most followers

Obama’s team seems very keen and knowledgeable on the use of social media and the effect it has and will continue to have on the President’s second term in office. This year’s Inaugural Address seemed full of quickly quotable anecdotes that convey a strong ‘untwist-able’ message. Hats off to the President’s publicity team, and here’s to 4 more years!

This article was based on the article “Year In Review: PR Wins & Sins” from On The Fourth Floor. Mistakenly, this article originally appeared uncredited on our site. We take content ownership very seriously, and maintain a strong belief that credit should be given where credit is due. Our deepest apologies to those at rock-it promotions, and to owner Deb G.

Bring on the Big Buzz & Good Tidings

“Our Food, Your Questions” – McDonald’s

Everyone is familiar with McDonald’s, but there are definitely questions of where their food comes from and what is actually in it. To address the negative press surrounding their brand in 2012, McDonald’s launched the ‘Our Food, Your Questions” campaign. Customers & critics were encouraged to send in questions that were then answered by the  McDonald’s team. Sure some of the answers see to be delivered with an all too happy tone, but the sheer honesty and transparency of this campaign made it an all around winner in 2012.

“My Drink’s Zero, Coke Zero” – Coca Cola

This year marked the 50^th anniversary for the James Bond franchise and the release of their highly anticipated movie, ‘Skyfall’. To capitalize on the popularity of the franchise, Coca Cola came up with a way to get people pumped and feeling like a secret agent themselves, all in the name of free tickets to Skyfall. 70 seconds to reach platform 70? Not a problem for the guys in this video! What a great way to create word-of-mouth buzz for two of the most recognized brands in the world.

Every Little Boy Deserves Their Train Set - LEGO

PR win of the year has to go to LEGO. Over the years, we’ve all fallen in love with a specific commercial product: be it a pair of shoes or a favourite shade of lip gloss. Over time the product gets used up, or even falls apart – so we attempt to replace it, only to find out it’s been discontinued.

This was the story for James Groccia, an 11-year-old with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism. James is a part of a LEGO play group that helps him learn to socialize with kids his own age. So when James saw LEGO’s Emerald Night Train Set, he began to save his money and two years later he finally had enough. Unfortunately by that time, the set had been discontinued by LEGO and sellers on eBay were charging way above the original price. So James decided to write LEGO and explain his whole situation. Lo-and-behold, what arrived just in time for James’ 11^th birthday but the Emerald Night Train Set. If that story doesn’t warm your heart, we don’t know what will.

Not Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

So for all the good PR stories last year, there had to be the ones that made us cringe. Here are a couple of the examples not to follow.

“Here’s your burger, side order of dirt off my shoes” – Burger King

So we all did silly things when we’re teenagers, even at our first jobs. The thing is, we usually didn’t go too crazy, and we probably tried to be super discreet about it. Not so for some employees at Burger King. Not only did someone decide it was a good idea to stand in the lettuce bins, but they had someone take a photo AND post it to social media! Needless to say, the employees involved were caught and fired for this one.

“Don’t Worry, it’s Just a Little Wind” – American Apparel

Hurricane usually means secure everything and get somewhere safe for the duration of the storm. Not, “Oh look one of my favourite retailers is having a killer sale, better get on that!” That’s right, during Hurricane Sandy American Apparel decided it was a good idea to have an online sale. And the language they used in their advertising for the sale wasn’t what we call……… empathetic.

But the PR FAIL of 2012 has to go to:

Chick-fil-A (of course)

President and CEO of Chick-fil-A made it pretty clear this year that he holds a homophobic & anti-gay marriage stance. With a little digging it came to light that the Chick-fil-A charity, WinShape Foundation, perpetuated this stance with large donations to political organizations that are also opposed LGBT rights. This stance enraged Americans, driving them to stand together against Chick-fil-A, mayors of Boston & Chicago pledged to not allow any new franchises to open in their cities and San Francisco’s mayor warned the chain to stay away from them altogether. The company released a statement saying that any support of anti-LGBT organizations has since stopped but there is apparently no clear proof of this.

Journalists receive dozens of unsolicited phone calls and hundreds of unwanted emails each day.

Their Twitter networks churn out an endless stream of updates, links, and photos.

Their RSS (really simple syndication) feeds offer innumerable stories from their favorite blogs and websites.

With all of that information constantly coming in, it’s not hard for reporters to find potential news stories. But finding news stories they can actually report on? Now that’s the hard part. That’s because every news organization has constraints on which stories their reporters can cover and how they can cover them.

In virtually every newsroom around the world, here are the five factors that drive news decisions: time, speed, space, profit, and bias.

Time

Journalists have never before faced such bruising deadlines. Newspaper reporters who once had to write a story a day now have to continually update that story for their paper’s website.

Their broadcast counterparts now have to produce separate Web-only versions of their radio and television segments throughout the day and promote them via social media.

Plus, many reporters are doing the jobs of two or three people, because it’s likely that their news organizations have laid off several—if not dozens—of their colleagues. If your story requires reporters to do extensive research, they probably won’t cover it at all.

Speed

Competition from faster-moving new media has largely forced traditional media outlets to abandon rigorous fact checking. To keep up, they now rush deadlines and release stories sooner than they’d like, especially when covering breaking news events.

If you can’t explain your story quickly (and easily), it’s more likely that reporters will get at least some aspect of it wrong.

To read the rest of this entry, head over to PRDaily!

There are certain people you meet in life that are destined for greatness. I first met Kira only a couple months ago in a continuing education course at Ryerson. Kira’s passion and determination are addictive qualities that quickly captured the attention of the entire class. Being a person who’s drawn to passionate people, I made a point to quickly introduce myself to Kira – she’s driven, successful, and obviously a natural fit for a profile piece on EDPR. Enjoy getting to know Kira with these 8 questions below.

- Cory

What’s your ‘official’ job title, and what do you do at AOL?

My official title at AOL is PR & Marketing Specialist – I oversee all media and public relations for all brands under AOL Canada.  AOL is a global media company with the missions to inform, entertain and connect with consumers, advertisers and publishers worldwide.   The AOL brand encompasses a robust family of over 65 brands, including The Huffington Post Media Group, products and digital advertising solutions, while focusing their efforts on creating original digital content across their suite of properties.  We help brands connect with consumers online through innovative ad formats, custom digital advertising solutions, and premium content brands.  I encourage communication between AOL Canada, the media, consumers, clients and the marketing and advertising trade industries.

Where’d you go to school, and what for?

I began my educational path at Humber College for Paralegal and Business; which then led me to an Honours Degree at York University majoring in Law and Society, and minoring in Aboriginal Studies, and Communications.

How did you land in PR and Marketing and was this always your plan?

I have always had interest in Marketing and Communications in some form or another, however I found it overwhelming to find opportunities to develop my skills and experience in such a big industry.  My marketing passion first blossomed when I worked with Vespa Scooters as a summer street marketing coordinator while in school, from there I worked as a marketing manager at a large restaurant company in Toronto.  At the time I was eager to find a position that would give me the opportunity to be exposed to numerous roles and knowledge so I decided to take a risk and take on a new industry. I landed an amazing opportunity at AOL Canada; which allowed for me to gain incredible insights into digital marketing, advertising, and media.  I first started as a Sales Coordinator; which later evolved into a role as Western Province Ad Sales and finally, my current position as PR and Marketing Specialist.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your position?

I would say one of the most challenging aspects of my position is time management, in PR, and specifically Marketing and PR of a digital media company “time is of the essence”.  Press releases, data and technology updates, brand messaging, product launches, research, client needs and events can add up and urgency is the biggest, most important factor in my world.  It can be hard to fit everything into one single day but when you do, it is a great accomplishment.

What’s the best part of your job?

AOL Canada has been on an incredible journey since I started, I am proud to be a  part of a team that has grown our company into a major competitor in the digital media industry.  I enjoy my job so very much; sometimes the best part is simply the acknowledgement that you can do anything you put your mind to.  Whether it is hosting events, capturing an amazing interview, supporting a lead story online, meeting amazing people of influence such as Arianna Huffington or being a part of a great team, it’s hard not to like what I do.

Who do you look to for mentorship and advice?

I try to learn from the many amazing people I am surrounded by.  Firstly, my mother, a strong, intelligent woman, my husband who keeps me grounded and tells it like it is, and my boss, Laura Pearce, who seems to be able to do it all – job and family.  David Shing, AOL’s Digital Prophet, has been an incredible source of inspiration and advice, along with many of the great leaders at my company.

What are your 3 favourite industry blogs/sites/news outlets?

Oh that’s a hard one, I have so many resources that I go to each and everyday (some useful, others for mere entertainment)!

Here are some of my faves:

The Huffington Post Canada – for all things news/media

Media in Canada – for my daily intake of industry news

Marketing Magazine – for my marketing and media updates

Buzzfeed – for my online video consumption

PR Daily – for social media, best practices and news

What advice would you give for people seeking out a position in a similar field?

I think it is always important to network, I know, breaking news!  Re-think where and how you are networking, is it at events, conferences, parties?  I always have much more success when it is somewhere I am least comfortable.  I am also a strong believer in continuing education, it is a great way to develop new skills, perspectives and, of course, network.  Don’t be afraid to take risks, as you will never succeed unless you fail sometimes.

There’s nothing more annoying than liking a brand or product’s Facebook page, and finding out that they’re in the habit of posting updates more than 3 times a day. Or worse:

HOSTING CHATS ON FACEBOOK

This was the case earlier this week, when one of my favourite brands decided to host a chat on Facebook with their spokesperson taking the lead. What resulted was approximately 15 status updates from the brand IN MY NEWS FEED over a 2 hour span.  If you’re a Facebook user of any capacity, you know how annoying this can be. Also, the brand in question appeals to an older demographic than what I would fall into. Guess what that means? Generally speaking, an older Facebook user tends to have a lower amount (100-200) friends and likes on the social networking site. This would mean that the majority of their news feeds would be inundated with posts from this brand. What does that lead to?

UNLIKES

Needless to say, there’s definitely an unwritten list of best practices when using Facebook as a brand. Check out this INFOGRAPHIC outlining some of the brand “+” and no-no’s for Facebook conduct:

Seeing this recently on PRdaily, it only seemed natural to share it will all you disrupters. Often times there is a lot of mischievous behaviour in the online marketing world, and these 10 tips will help keep your hands clean. Granted, we’re all guilty of an improper tactic or 2 – but print these out, look at them daily, and hopefully you’ll keep on track!

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF ONLINE MARKETING ETIQUETTE

Perhaps there isn’t a one-size-fits-all equation, and maybe you’re simply focused on numbers instead of conversions, but I’d like to think there is some online etiquette we all should consider.

Therefore, I created the 10 commandments of online etiquette:

1. Thou shalt not add anyone to a newsletter list without his or her consent.

2. Thou shalt not send a LinkedIn invite that says, “I’d like to add you to my professional network.”

3. Thou shalt not post news releases as blog posts.

4. Thou shalt not talk about yourself in communications.

5. Thou shalt not use Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn accounts as news feeds for an organization.

6. Thou shalt not create newsletters that talk about how great you, your leadership, products, or services are without putting them in the context of the buyer.

7. Thou shalt not build lists, fans, followers, connections or circles just for the sake of numbers.

8. Thou shalt not abuse your online power.

9. Thou shalt not email bloggers, journalists, influencers, or target audiences without doing research, building relationships, and giving them something of value.

10. Thou shalt not engage in black hat email marketing.

When sifting through current marketing strategies, it’s evident that there are several ways that companies can connect directly with their consumers. However, there’s one exceptional solution that will allow feedback, along with massive brand exposure in today’s marketplace. What solution is that, you ask? Well, it’s a twitter party.

WHAT’S A TWITTER PARTY?

A twitter party is a fast paced and entertaining virtual party, utilizing the twitter platform. Twitter parties traditionally last 1-2 hours (but can be longer) and are an effective way for people to connect and discuss a brand, product launch, or particular interest.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Twitter users tweet with a specified hashtag (#) for the party. The party host will announce the hashtag prior to the event. Users can follow the hashtag to see all the tweets associated with the ‘twarty’. Tweetdeck and Tweetgrid are tools that can make twartying a lot easier.

WHY?

There are several reasons why a company would want to hold a twitter party. Whether it’s to accompany a launch or party, generate buzz about a specific product or milestone, or further ignite their social presence – twitter parties lend themselves well to any equation.

Most recently, Embrace Disruption’s founder (Cory Stewart) created, facilitated, and executed a twitter party for a company called NewEgg Canada. After exceeding expectation with the success of past twitter parties for companies like VISA, H&M and Shopcatch – this ‘TWARTY’ still managed to bring forward a few stand out moments. Check out the results below, and get a clearer idea of what a brand can achieve by hosting a ‘TWARTY’.

Interested in hosting a twitter party for your business? Let’s talk.

]]> http://embracedisruption.com/2012/09/21/what-is-a-twitter-party/feed/ 1 http://embracedisruption.com/2012/09/04/what-consumers-really-want/ http://embracedisruption.com/2012/09/04/what-consumers-really-want/#comments Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:57:14 +0000 http://embracedisruption.com/?p=1346  

Last week, I was attending a book club meeting where we were discussing Eric Ries’ now famous novel: The Lean StartUp. In the book, Ries outlines all of the basic principles that a startup can put in place to achieve measureable success with proper testing and evaluation. The lean principles can merit their own blog post, so I won’t get too detailed today– but the idea of identifying precisely what your consumer wants came up in discussion.

We talked about making sure to listen to the consumer, and really take into perspective what they’re asking for. It was then proposed that the consumer is more likely to provide you with a complaint, or a desire that perhaps has nothing to do with the current product or service they’re using.

Let’s put this into context: back when VHS tapes were in their prime, one of the major gripes was that they took forever to rewind. Traditional thinkers would take this complaint, and try and design a faster VCR – when really, the customers were actually indirectly asking for a DVD player.

This concept (though simple) blew me away. I’ve always considered myself an out the box thinker – but to hear this put into such a simple example really resonated with me. One of the key parts of innovation is being able to hear feedback, and produce products and services that are able to better consumer user experiences. This was done ingeniously by the introduction of the DVD player, but has transcended into many different facets of technology to provide us with some of our now daily necessities.

It’s just a true testament to the fact that the consumer doesn’t always know what they want, but they certainly can identify what they don’t want. It takes great vision and foresight to look beyond the present day products, and create products or services from ground zero.

I’ll leave you with a quote from the late, great Steve Jobs:

“A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

1.    You look resistant to change.

No one wants to hire someone who isn’t willing to embrace disruption. Adaptability is key in any workforce, and those who aren’t willing to change directions on a dime aren’t seen as assets.

2.    You seem unable to handle new tasks.

Is it really that difficult to use the new timeline? No. Voicing your gripes in an online format implies that you aren’t capable of working with new platforms or programs. Again, pretty undesirable.

3.    If you complain about this, what else are you going to complain about?

Something relatively small like this scenario is hardly a pressing matter. When you outwardly cry about Timeline, your employer will be lead to believe you’re apt to complain publically if something goes wrong at work. Again, the check mark can be ticked in the undesirable category.

4.    It’s just Facebook.

If you don’t like it, get rid of it. No one is making you use it, so fix your problem in one easy click of a button.

Hopefully this post helps you think through those potential posts ridden with complaints. Remember, even with the highest privacy settings – HR departments have ways of accessing your profiles. Be smart about your social.

And for those of you who do end up deleting Facebook because of Timeline: see you in a couple of days.

Whether it’s a friend showcasing a new outfit on their facebook feed, or a collection of similar images aggregated into one photo – collage pictures are everywhere. I’ve spent a lot of time going through all the available apps in the iTunes store and came across ‘Photo Collage Free’. Ok, so they didn’t really get creative with the name – but who cares! This app does the job in a simple and user-friendly way.

The app lets you choose from several different layouts. After selecting, you have the option to fully customize the experience with height and width adjustments and corner shaping. There’s the ability to add effects to your photos if you upgrade – but if you don’t want to pay, just use instagram for the photos before you make your collage. There’s not a lot of bells and whistles to this app – but that’s what makes it so good. It’s not confusing, and simple to operate. I can definitely see this as a great alternative to photoshop on the go – or even for creating graphically stimulating slides for a presentation.

Download Photo Collage Free here – and tell me what you think! Are there any photo collage apps you recommend?

I’m here to tell you right now – that a simple cut and paste job into your status will NOT automatically re-instate your rights, or any other objective you have in your head. This paragraph is not legally binding and frankly, the fact that Facebook has gone public is completely unrelated to the privacy of your content.

The fact is: social networks are not made for private storage. What this means for you? That regardless of privacy settings, personal preferences and the like: you should treat every photo, sentence and your shared content as though your grandmother/mother/employer/future employer CAN and WILL see everything.

In light of this, here’s a few things you can do to clean up any questionable stuff you may have lying around in your past:

1. Delete Questionable Photos: If you’re emotionally attached to them, save them somewhere. Regardless of the privacy settings- there are several ways these can be accessed (including by that person who just interviewed you for your dream job).

2. Censor Yourself: Obviously these networks are all made for you to express yourself, but keep in mind that it’s possible that everything you say online can be publicly retrieved. Keep your controversial conversations to ‘in-person’ – it could be the difference between scoring a potential job, client or even a relationship.

3. Download Your Facebook History: This is easy to do by going to your general settings menu (see picture). Sometimes we forget just exactly what we have listed online, and this is a resource to really go back and decipher what should be edited or deleted.

4. Everyone and Everything Is A Brand: Everything you say, everything you do, and everything you endorse is a reflection of yourself online. Put thought into the future when posting in the present – you never know what tomorrow brings.

Do you have additional tips or suggestions to avoid unnecessary disruption? Share them in the comments!

And finally, I found yet another INFOGRAPHIC that I’m obsessed with. It claims that there are 2 types of mindsets in which a person can adopt into their lifestyle. Personally, I think that people can mix and match the two mindset attributes, and it’s not always so black and white. That said, it’s still very interesting – and a good check-in guide to make sure you’re fully ‘embracing disruption’.

As always, I love hearing your feedback. Be sure to tell me your thoughts on this INFOGRAPHIC!

The unfortunate part is: youth in the media are depicted as Jessica Simpson pondering the existence of tuna within a tuna can. Yes, the reference is a little dated, but still – imagine how much the media has distorted youth since 2001. I know it’s extreme to resort to immediate pop culture references when comparing to corporate culture, but you have to wonder – how many top level execs have seen this trashy media and unwillingly let it slip into their subconscious? I’m extremely lucky to work in a progressive environment that thrives on the talent of youth in the workplace, while impressing challenge to accomodate growth. However, not all youth are so lucky.

I was recently reminded of a few key facts that we as youth really need to remember while pursuing our life dreams and desires, and I thought I’d share them with you.

1. You Drive The Car – Every move you make teaches people how to respond to you. Be sure that the image and persona you project is one that you’re proud of. If you’re unsure of what you appear to others as, ask for an opinion from a close friend or co-worker – feedback is IMPORTANT.

2. Work Your Butt Off – If you really want something, it can be yours. All of this comes with a cost of practice and patience – but you need to be driven enough to start from the bottom.

3. Make Sure You’re In The Know – I constantly get feedback from my job, and I’m sure my boss will tell you how often I require it (sometimes to a fault). The fact is, don’t allow yourself to slip – always check in and make sure you’re meeting (or exceeding) requirements. It always feels good to know that you’re on the right track, and I’m sure your boss will appreciate the check in.

and finally:

4. Make Sure You’re Valued – It’s easy to undermine yourself, particularily when you’re early in your career. Make sure that the environment you work in embraces you and allows you to grow. I know we don’t always have the luxury of being selective with our careers – but we can make the choice to do something if we’re unhappy. Believe me: you DO NOT have to be stuck somewhere that you feel badly or unwanted. If you want a change, you have the ability to make it happen.

That’s all for today, and please feel free to sound off with any comments or feedback – I’m anxious to hear your views.

1. The Executor

The title speaks volumes. This individual is fantastic at getting the job done, and will accomplish all that you ask of them. They work while they’re at work, and when the time comes – they ‘punch-out’ and return to their daily lives and families. This type generally is apt to have a strong list of outside hobbies, and interests beyond their work.

2. The Die Hard

No, not the action packed Bruce Willis type, but the individual who doesn’t (and can’t) leave their work at their desk. These people wake up in the morning with their mind ‘a-buzz’, pre-calculating their days and constantly diverting to work related subjects in their heads (on and off the clock). These people tend to be driven by a certain passion that simply won’t rest until they’ve proven themselves, or contributed to a self-dictated bench mark of their liking.

I find that I tend to fall into type 2 regularly, as I’m always thinking about what I can do to make the product or service I’m working on better. My friends and family would agree: I always have something to input, and I certainly won’t hold back an opinion if I feel strongly about it.

Now both motivational types are extremely valuable to a company: one finds pure enjoyment in fulfilling what’s required and can turn the ‘work switch’ off, while the other’s passion drives them to an unparallelled loyalty to their company or brand objectives. I feel that part of a great workplace is having a balance of talent to compliment each other: there’s absolutely no point in a group of same-minded people working together. That will leave a zero percent chance that as a team, you’ll uncover ground breaking territory and really innovate as the world demands today.

Now it’s your turn to sound off: what ‘type’ are you, and what do you find motivates you in the workplace? I’d love to hear your comments and thoughts on this subject, and welcome any feedback or questions.