Marketing & Creative Jobs in Canada Blog - Part 20

Digital Marketing Confidential with WestJet’s Greg Plata: The sky’s the limit

0126 CIMC FG_Greg PlataBack for another year, the 2016 Canadian Internet Marketing Conference (CIMC) will feature a powerhouse line-up of more than 30 of the world’s top minds and movers of the digital marketing industry. FreshGigs.ca got the awesome opportunity to have a pre-conference brain-picking sesh with each of the keynote speakers and panelists. Today’s Q & A is with Greg Plata, Team Lead, Sponsorship & Experiential Marketing for WestJet.

You’re responsible for one of the most viral marketing campaigns in history. How do you maintain your innovative edge?

The industry is a great catalyst when it comes to maintaining our innovative edge. Inspiration is everywhere and is the driving force behind our determination to remain relevant and insert ourselves in the conversation, without being redundant. We are fortunate to have the confidence in our leadership to approach each project with a blank canvas, and the opportunity to try something new and take a chance, the notion that we have permission to fail. Continue reading →

Five Things Friday: Graphic Designer Jenny McCracken

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Five Things Friday is a departure from the interviews and features we typically post. Part conversation, Part Proust Questionnaire – but with just five questions, Five Things Friday (hashtag alert! #5TF) shows the lighter (and sometimes sillier) side of our interviewees. We’ll be talking to everyone we can get our grubby little hands on; it’s our way of introducing you to the communications, marketing and creative cognoscenti who rock their respective industries. This week, Joanne M. Brathwaite dabbles in the creative side of things with graphic-designer-cum-yogi, Jenny McCracken.

How long did it take you in the industry to get to where you are today?

Oh no. 16 years. How did that happen? I’m only 29, right? Right?

Besides artistic abilities, what are some of the qualities that a good Graphic Designer should possess?

Design is, first and foremost, about problem solving and communication. A good designer has the ability to identify a problem and approach it with a balance of creativity and efficacy. S/he is also able to use design tools and principals to tell a story or relay a message that is both engaging and unmistakable. Continue reading →

Remember to rock: 5 influence marketing tips that work

Influencer-MarketingImage of businessman working on a laptop from Shutterstock.

If you are a marketer, or don’t live under a rock, chances are that you have heard of influencer marketing and seen it in action. We are talking about instances when instagrammers, youtubers, bloggers and twitter folks with a ton of followers tell you how amazing a product is and that your life – even though you may not realize it – is utterly incomplete without it.

The rise of this particular type of marketing is in part due to the social media revolution, where consumers look towards their counterparts for purchasing decisions, the more famous the better. Continue reading →

You shoot, you score! Why you should make goal setting a priority in 2016 (and beyond)

PM 0118 Track Your Way To SuccessImage of man shooting an arrow via Shutterstock.

I strongly believe you can’t manage people, you can only manage their commitments. One way to do this – for yourself or others – is by goal setting.

According to businessdictionary.com, goal setting is “a motivational technique based on the concept that the practice of setting specific goals enhances performance, and that setting difficult goals results in higher performance than setting easier goals.”

So, what’s the easiest way to set goals for yourself? Continue reading →

Tips on freelancing – from a few who’ve been there: Part Two

2016 LF Freelance pt 2Image of beautiful young woman sitting on bench from Shutterstock.

Many people are starting off the New Year with a resolution to quit the corporate gig, release themselves from the shackles of their full-time gig and finally go it alone: freelance. This is the second of a two-part series, where writer Lori Franze polls a few of her cronies to get some sage advice from those who fly solo. 

In Tuesday’s piece, I got some sweet freelance tips from art director Wendy Bloemink. On the other side of the creative spectrum is Ruth Zuchter – a writer and copy editor has been working in the industry for over 15 years. When I asked her if she’d like to share some advice for other freelancers she jumped at the chance to pay it forward, noting that she wouldn’t be where she is today without the guidance of others. Continue reading →

Tips on freelancing – from a few who’ve been there: Part One

2016 LF FreelanceImage of beautiful woman looking at laptop from Shutterstock.

Many people are starting off the New Year with a resolution to quit the corporate gig, release themselves from the shackles of their full-time gig and finally go it alone: freelance. In the first of a two-part series, writer Lori Franze polls a few of her cronies to get some sage advice from those who fly solo. 

There is an obvious trend in our workforces across North America – the freelance economy is growing and will continue to grow. There are a number of factors that have led to this shift – lack of jobs available forcing people to create their own, ebbs and flows of work within organizations and technology enabling people to work from any four corners of the world.

So maybe you are considering taking the leap into the world of freelance, or you’ve been working at it for a couple months and things aren’t falling into place as you had hoped. Continue reading →

Five Things Friday: Emily Mills

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Five Things Friday is a departure from the interviews and features we typically post. Part conversation, Part Proust Questionnaire – but with just five questions, Five Things Friday (hashtag alert! #5TF) shows the lighter (and sometimes sillier) side of our interviewees. We’ll be talking to everyone we can get our grubby little hands on; it’s our way of introducing you to the communications, marketing and creative cognoscenti who rock their respective industries. This week, writer Claire Francis picks the brain of Emily Mills – Senior Communications Officer at CBC and “sheEO” of How She Hustles.

You’ve gone from an independent journalist to your current position as a Senior Communications Officer at CBC. What first attracted you to working in the media?

I didn’t see myself reflected enough in media – voices like mine felt like the exception, not the norm. We still have a long way to go in our industry to reflect diversity – different cultures, perspectives and expertise. Not just in the spotlight, but also behind-the-scenes. So rather than just complain, I decided to become part of the change I wanted to see. I started writing about what mattered to me – from hip hop and race relations, to gender politics and the need for more diverse voices in media. As I matured, so did my interests in a variety of areas.

The transition from journalism to communications then happened organically over time. Continue reading →

Creative Cultures: Rennie works like family

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In our Creative Cultures series, contributor Crystal Henrickson spends a day inside companies to learn how hiring, onboarding and company culture play a role in employee happiness. From startups to design firms and all in-between, we’re pulling back the curtain on what it’s like to work in inventive and productive environments.

It doesn’t seem to matter the occasion, whether family function or a dinner party with friends, guests congregate in the kitchen. Today, I find myself seated at the communal table at Rennie, a guest among the firm’s tight knit family-like unit. Piles of cookies keep me company as various advisors, marketers, and operators of Rennie’s team introduce themselves while snatching up one of the freshly-baked treats. Continue reading →

The Art of Sales – Canada’s #1 sales conference is coming to Vancouver and Toronto!

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Art-Of-Sales

Canada’s #1 sales conference is returning to Toronto on January 26, 2016 and to Vancouver on February 5, 2016. Specifically designed for sales and business development professionals, The Art of Sales is a unique one-day conference featuring five internationally renowned bestselling authors and visionaries who will share an exciting blend of cutting edge thinking, best practices, current trends and real world experience on today’s most critical sales issues. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain a competitive advantage and network with over 1,200 of Canada’s most influential sales professionals.

Toronto

January 26, 2016
8:30AM – 5:00PM
Metro Toronto Convention Centre

  • Daniel Pink – #1 New York Times bestselling author of To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others,  A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future and Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
  • Keith Ferrazzi – #1 New York Times bestselling author of Who’s Got Your Back and Never Eat Alone
  • Brent Adamson – Bestselling co-author of The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer
  • Mitch Joel – Bestselling author of CTRL ALT Delete: Reboot Your Business.
    Reboot Your Life. Your Future Depends On It.     and Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business To Everyone.
  • Ian Chamandy – Co-Author of Why Should I Choose You? and founding partner of Blueprint Business Architecture

To take advantage of our preferred member rate, use promo-code “FRESH27” and save up to $100 when registering!

Click here to view event brochure

Click here to register for The Art of Sales – Toronto

Vancouver

February 5, 2016
8:30AM – 5:00PM
Vancouver Convention Centre

  • Daniel Pink – #1 New York Times bestselling author of To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others,  A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future and Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
  • Jeffrey Gitomer – World-renowned sales expert and New York Times bestselling author of The Little Red Book of Selling and The Sales Bible
  • Brent Adamson – Bestselling co-author of The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer
  • Mark Bowden – Communication expert and bestselling author of Winning Body Language
  • Ian Chamandy – Co-Author of Why Should I Choose You? and founding partner of Blueprint Business Architecture

To take advantage of our preferred member rate, use promo-code “FRESH27” and save up to $100 when registering!

Click here to view event brochure

Click here to register for The Art of Sales – Vancouver

Comments? Questions? Please feel free to leave them below.