Creative Cultures: Unbounce’s Growth In Moderation Success Strategy

Crystal Henrickson

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.

When you think of a stereotypical tech startup, a scene of ping pong tables, foosball and beer on Fridays emerges. But every day at Unbounce, an eagerness and earnestness to create a welcoming space for team members and customers alike bucks the cliche. I spent a day visiting their Vancouver office to experience its forward-thinking and transparent approach to business myself.

Unbounce is a marketing company providing software for professional marketers to create, publish and test landing pages, without engaging a developer. The company, which was founded in 2009, has surged to more than 110 employees (and counting!), servicing over 10,000 customers with offices in Vancouver and in Montreal. Continue reading →

Get more bang for your buzz with Google Analytics Premium

Guest Author

When it comes to cost-effective data solutions, Google Analytics is as good as they come. Companies across the globe use it – not because they can’t afford a paid/proprietary tool, but the free-99-plus-tax price-point is a real bonus. It’s also an excellent tool.

However, most companies aren’t ready for a robust data collections/action solution; a staggering number of large enterprises don’t feel the need to collect and aggregate data to help with sales. Google recently came out with Google Analytics Premium – and as a Google Certified Expert*, I want to let you know why this is a big deal. Continue reading →

Five Things Friday: Matan Ahlfeld

Lori Franze

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, Lori Franze chats with media mister Matan Ahlfeld.

Why media? How did you end up doing what you’re doing?

Growing up, I was always fascinated with advertising. I thought Angela Bower on Who’s The Boss had the coolest job. Ironically, I did my business degree at Schulich School of Business, but advertising was never part of the program.

It’s actually an interesting story how I ended up getting into media: To be honest, going into it, I had no idea what it even was. Back in 2000, My uncle, Peter Simpson, was a movie producer at the time, found out I was looking to get into the ad business, suggested I interview at an agency (Genesis Media) that was across the hall from his office. It sounded interesting, so I ended up taking the job. Sadly, my uncle lost his battle to cancer in 2007. It was at his memorial service that I discovered he was one of the pioneers in the media industry. Back in the 60s, he founded Media Buying Services (MBS), the first ever stand-alone media agency in North America.

I always knew him to be in the movie business, so it was a surprise and a delight to hear that I’m following in his footsteps. Continue reading →

How Sun Tzu’s legendary Principles of War are actually awesome present-day lifehacks

Peter Mosley

Photo of Military Cadets from Shutterstock.

When you think of Sun Tzu and the Art of War, what comes to mind? Do you think 6th-century warriors, battlefields and an epic battle between good and evil? No? Well, good. Despite its rather grim title, the legendary tome addresses and outlines the appropriate strategies for battle – on the field and of the mind – in short, how to win the battle of wits. Author Pete Mosley takes some of the great tactician’s Principles and breaks them down into present-day work/life hacks.

The Master Principle

The selection and maintenance of the aim. This means that first of all you are to establish clearly what your objective is to be. Once this has been determined precisely you should not allow yourself to be deviated from the plan of action you have made.
Tl;dr: Focus on your goals. Continue reading →

When losing is winning: lessons learned in the face of defeat

Lori Franze

Photo of Baseball on a baseball field from Shutterstock.

It’s been a little over three weeks since the Jays’ heartbreaking loss to the Kansas City Royals saw their dreams of winning another World Series dashed. And while Kansas has gone on to defeat the New York Mets, and claim the 2015 MLB championship title, some Jays fans are still in post-season mourning. “When you lose, don’t lose the lesson,” they say; there’s a valuable takeaway that can be applied to our professional lives. Author Lori Franze explains.

Like so many across the country I found myself heartbroken late in to the night of October 23^rd when the Blue Jay’s run for a spot in the World Series came to an end but the heartbreak must be short lived when you think about what this team accomplished in a few short months and what they gave us.

Beyond the memories and highlight reels and of course the sublime Bautista bat flip, this team has reminded me of some important life lessons that I believe everyone should keep top of mind. Continue reading →

Creative Cultures: Curiosity is core at HCMA

Crystal Henrickson

Every day, 50+ creatives convene above the corner of Granville and Hastings in downtown Vancouver. They’re pushing limits and redefining the approach to architectural design. Today, I’m visiting HCMA to learn how developing a community-centric culture is propelling the company beyond traditional practices and into the future of architecture.

The firm’s history reaches back to the mid-1970s and in the over 45 years it has been actively engaged in community oriented projects. “Throughout our history we’ve developed a strong belief in the power of design to positively impact the community.” says Managing Partner, Darryl Condon. When visiting their offices it is clear that this firm is on a path of discovery that looks to push this potential.

HCMA is a nationally and internationally recognized architectural firm evolving to meet the needs of the future. At every level, creativity and curiosity are being fostered: during charettes (brainstorming sessions specific to architecture), in staff library book suggestions, on Wednesday’s lunch club and even while selecting a new coffee bean to try during “kitchen duty.” Continue reading →

Not getting any callbacks? You might be making these cover letter blunders

Liz Da Ponte

Photo of Creative ideas notebook and pencil from Shutterstock.

I’ve had a number of people ask me for tips on applying for digital marketing jobs following the post on preparing for an interview.

Unfortunately, recalling the mistakes I’ve seen on cover letters was far too easy. Below is a list of the 4 most common mistakes I noticed on candidates’ cover letters when applying to digital marketing roles.

Not personalizing the letter

If you are applying to a digital marketing job and are still addressing your cover letters with “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern,” you may as well stop sending your letter.

I can’t speak for how other business areas feel about this, but for any roles related to digital marketing or social media, this is a big annoyance. Why? Because it shows you didn’t bother looking up who the hiring manager was on LinkedIn. Continue reading →

Five Things Friday: Jay Goldman, Managing Director at Klick Health; wearer of many hats

Joanne M. Brathwaite

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 talks to Jay Goldman, Managing Director of Sensei Labs at Klick Health – and wearer of many hats.

You describe yourself in multiple titles (technologist, designer, speaker, author…generally swell guy). How did each incarnation come to be? Which is your favorite one?

I feel like the list has slowly built out over the years, especially the middle bits. I’ve always tried to live up to the generally swell guy part (hopefully it’s working!) and the technologist in me has been there since a really young age when I used to sit and play Atari 2600 for hours on end. My dad was in computers from before I was born—somewhere we have one of his college textbooks with my mom’s contractions timed and noted on the inside cover as she gave birth to me.

My mom has been an artist since art school, so the technology and design parts came naturally. So did the authorship, which I would say is a direct outcome of having been raised by bookworms. The speaker part was something I fortunately discovered early in my career as a love of public speaking that has remained true to this day, whether an internal talk at Klick or on a major stage like TEDx. Continue reading →

How to make a big impression when you live in a small town

Guest Author

Photo of Creative ideas notebook and pencil from Shutterstock.

Maybe the commute got to you. Or it was the cost of living. For one reason or another, you’ve chosen to leave the big city for somewhere with a slower pace. How do you continue to build your portfolio when you live away from your industry’s home base?

Rock the Web

Like it or not, we live in a wired society. Clients and employers want to be able to go somewhere online and learn about you. They don’t need the gory details. But they should be able to type your name into Google and get a sense of who you are and what you do. Create an online presence. Start with a personal website. Continue reading →

How understanding these hidden elements could be the key to effective communication

Peter Mosley

Photo of Business People Corporate Meeting Board Room Concept from Shutterstock.

When it comes to effective communication, speaker and listener both share equally in the responsibility of communicating. Communication is a two way process that involves both how we send and receive messages.

Improving communication starts by understanding that our personal filters determine how we package a message (the information we send out), and, conversely, how others receive, or decode the intended message. As soon as we are cognizant of how we filter and distort the information we receive, we are better able to take responsibility for listening more effectively. Continue reading →